This isn't a statement I thought I would be making very often, but I'm kind of in agreement with DiV.
Moving out of London means getting to (home games at least) matches is more of an effort and having to now commute into London 3 times a week means that the last thing I want to do on a Saturday is more travelling. I'll watch the game on tv, which doesn't always work very well, but that doesn't irk me too much. It's not just the lost time either, as DiV also alluded to, it can be an expensive day out. I still enjoy my visit to the odd games with my dad, but we've both lost interest over the years. When we first started going quite regularly there was a good group of us that used to meet up, but due to death and lost interest it's really only me and him now. We try and get to a game once every 6 weeks depending on weekend plans.
I think I mentioned before that the pandemic flicked a bit of a switch in my head and I didn't actually miss when there was no football on, it provided an opportunity to do other things. I still look forward to the Swindon games, that will never change, but i'm just not as bothered if we win, lose or draw as I used to be, it's out of my control so I don't sweat it so much. This puts me in a huge minority, but I don't mind that, each to their own.
Wobbly Bob's comment is also spot on. I signed up on here when I lived in Edinburgh or Luxembourg I think and it was a great way of keeping in touch with other STFC fans who were closer to home. I've never had an addictive personality, but oddly this place is the closest thing to something I've become addicted to, which is a testament to the people who have posted here over the years.
I think age plays a part.
Message boards aren’t the used media anymore - the only people who tend to use them are those that started using them when they were the only way to talk about whatever subject with like minded people.
I expect most of us signed up in our teens / early 20 which would have made most of students and / or relatively new in the work force.
20+ years later and we are late 30s / early 40s and will have a combination of careers, mortgages, spouses & kids - unless your DMR & you just have an extensive criminal record.
All of which impacts the affordability & time needed to get to games.
I also expect with how easily accessible content from any of the big clubs in world football is now a days - that a lot of our kids (and future generations in general) will pick their team rather then being lumbered with one. Plus again, it’s way too bloody expensive for families.
When I was younger STFC was my life. It’s all I really did. My mood would be completely dictated by Swindon’s results. When we won great, I’d be happy till the next game. When we lost I’d be in a shitty mood till we won again. It became an addiction, a really shitty unfulfilling addiction that consumed me. All my mates were meeting their future partners, settling down, having kids & I was going to Walsall away (again) fully expecting us to lose (again) not remotely looking forward to it (again) and having the day put cost north of £50 (again)
Thankfully appointing Paul Hart was the straw that broke the camels back and I stopped going.
One of the best decisions I ever made in life.
